


Breathe

by xiuwu



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Historical Inaccuracy, M/M, Mentions of Drowning, philippines, soft trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:07:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27295393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiuwu/pseuds/xiuwu
Summary: Xiumin heard a shrill wail, but that did not stop him from grinning as he looked down on Chen. The same one who was now wide-eyed and trembling harshly."Monster."
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24
Collections: EXO MONSTERFEST 2020





	Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #: O59  
> Pairing: Xiumin/Chen  
> Monster: Merman  
> Prompt: A is a new servant for the estate when he finds out the truth behind the rumour of his master hiding a merman in their personal lake.
> 
> Hi, everyone! Before everything, I would like to thank my dear beta, Rebecca (@__cottonsheep) for helping me with everything regarding this work. Thank you so much for supporting me and loving this story as much as I did. I would also like to thank my friend, Bhea, for providing me with the moral support that I needed, especially towards the end of the fic. Finally, thank you to the prompter, because I really had fun writing this!

The sound of a stick breaking alarmed the group of three: two of whom were crouched, reaching for the sea-child's tail, and the last one remained standing a small distance away.

"Salvage what you can, quick, and go." Two pairs of hands snapped into action. Electric blue bled into their uncuffed sleeves as they carefully placed what they have retrieved into a linen sack that they hastily tied after.

"Speak of this, and you'll find no land." Both acquiesced and a woman was left alone. Before long, blue glinted off the black lines on her skin.

* * *

Upon sunrise, the skies darkened. 

The day after that, the heavens moaned. 

And for weeks soon after, the water roared.

The fishes were active, but the haze that the heavy rain provided made it harder for Xiumin to capture them inside his net. Furthermore, the rocks in the shallow parts of the river were, if not sharp, littered with moss. 

The water drenched him, and the morning chill left him shivering frequently. Yet, he held both wooden handles attached to his net with a better grip, now that his hands have pruned. 

Later, when all three of his baskets were filled, Xiumin hauled the yoke attached to two baskets over his shoulder, and the remaining on top of his head secured with a flimsy cloth tied over it with the knot under his chin. Then, he made his way back to the capital.

Even through the cocoon of darkness, the day was fast approaching.

Upon his exit from the woods, his clomping footsteps joined others as he walked along the now muddied dirt path. Soon enough, houses were closer together and more people brimmed the road, busy with their activities. Among those people was Old Zhang who stood out donning his bright red bandana, and strewn across his chest was a tray, and on it were small glass containers.

"Potions again, Sir?" Xiumin looked at the old man's curious items.

"Not potions today, no!" The old man pointed to his tray with a big smile on his face. It has been long since he last saw Old Zhang, and now his wrinkled skin clung to his bones more evidently. Plus, he has been giving away most of his items in the past for free. He wondered why he was selling them now. 

Xiumin surveyed the old man's trinkets once again. There were heaps of small glass containers that housed something inside. 

It seemed like the question was evident on his face, as Old Zhang spoke, "Amulets, boy. Very effective for healing."

Amulets? But those looked like dull pieces of fish scales to him. It was to be expected, however. The old man's trinkets always looked odder and odder every time. He has been wanting to buy one that could easily pass as a display inside his home. Today was probably not the day.

"Well, then, Sir. I'll be on my way now." 

Just as he turned around, the man spoke, "You have my salve with you, no? Been rainin' more and more. Must be mermaids. Check the lake for me, will 'ya?" He winked.

Xiumin walked away bearing one last fond smile. The old man always said the silliest of things, but his salve did work wonders when Xiumin got minor wounds out in the open.

* * *

The rain mellowed into a drizzle by the time Xiumin saw the red tiles of the Commissioner's roof. But then, if this wasn't enough of a landmark, then the long line of people with baskets of goods from the house's front yard sure enough was. However, queuing up on his own made him fidgety, so he opted to listen to the lively chatter from the rest of his people. 

It took him quite a while to see the start of the line where the Commissioner was seated behind a long table full of containers brimming with crops and livestock. She was dressed in a traditional thin shirt with butterfly sleeves, and even if he couldn't see, he knew that she would be wearing a weaved skirt that would go down to her ankles. The women in line all wore the same tops, but their skirt only went up until their calves. He looked at his own pants in disdain. They were still covered in mud even after folding it several times over. It was also red which reminded him of ripe Aratilis berries. The thought of the fruit soured his palette, but men like him needed to wear red during deliveries. 

"Next." The Commissioner spoke, and the person before him curtsied one last time, with her emptied baskets.

"Ah, it's our new boy. How has your father been, Xiumin?"

"Resting well, Doña Cruz." 

"Good, good. It's strange to see you without him now." It was true. Xiumin always went with his father to fish, but those times have passed.

"I have here three baskets of fish," Xiumin laid his baskets on the table and dug out a wrap of leaves from his pocket, "and some snails for the child." 

The Doña beamed, "He will love this. Thank you, Xiumin." 

She held his hands briefly and let go, quickly taking account of the goods that he brought on a piece of paper. Xiumin looked at her skin, wrinkled and tanned by the days, but like her smile, the tattoos that littered her skin from her neck to her forearms and down to her ankles stayed obsidian-dark, preserving her identity. 

"Have the ratios been manageable?"

"Quite. The weather has been friendly for fishing." Xiumin sent her an appreciative smile. However, he saw how the Doña's smile disappeared from her eyes.

"I hope the Governor deems these sufficient enough." 

Xiumin sought a response, but the Doña quickly laughed it off, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Just like the ones before him, Xiumin left with a bow before depositing his catch in a separate container. 

The Doña's words were concerning. In the past four months, the Governor only mandated a daily tribute of two baskets of goods per household, and it was just last month that it increased to three. Surely those were enough. He doesn't even know why the Governor needed such excess. He didn't even know his face.

On his way home, he was stopped again by a strong fishy scent and another familiar face. 

"Mr. Thumin, Mr. Thumin!" Came the high-pitched voice. Waving to him was a scrawny child whose clothes were dirtied with grime, and his elated grin brought a healthy glow to his otherwise gaunt face.

"Why are you outside, kid?" 

"Hi Mr. Thumin. I-I played there, inside! The shore has many rocks and rocks are sli-slippery but-but Hunnie is great at rocks! And Hunnie plays with bugs and a big--giant! fish! Um, um, ah! Like Mr. Thumin!" The child reported while spreading his arms wide.

"Careful with the rocks, kid."

"Rocks are bad. But Hunnie plays with pretty fishes! Color, wah! Like the sky but butifuler!" The child exclaimed and pointed an arm up into the sky. In an instant, Hunnie fumbled with his clothes, then his eyes widened, gasping with his hands on his mouth. 

"Bracelet! Oh no, Mr. Thumin, I left my bracelet! Mr. Zhang will get angry!" The child peeked up at Xiumin, his lips set into a pout, "But Hunnie is scared, Mr. Thumin!"

Xiumin laughed at the child's dilemma. He was about to take Hunnie's hand to come with him, but the child's body shook violently as he coughed. He looked at Hunnie warily as he rubbed his back.

"I'll look for it later if you promise to go home now."

The child nodded, "Okay, Mr. Thumin. But promise Hunnie no tell Mr. Zhang?"

"I won't tell Mr. Zhang."

"And Grandma?"

Xiumin widened his eyes dramatically, "Especially Grandma!"

Hunnie nodded in determination and bid his farewell, "Okay, Mr. Thumin. I will go now!" 

"Oh, hi Hun!"

"Hi Mr. Luz!"

"Hunnie! Here, snack on these!"

"Thank you, Miss Bong--"

"Hunnie, wrap yourself up with this, child!"

"Off you go, kid! Wouldn't want to make Grandma mad, eh?"

"I'll be going, Mr. Shin, bye!"

Xiumin wanted to see to it that the child would be home safely, but fortunately, the villagers knew Hunnie well.

* * *

Xiumin decided to go out fishing when the sun was about to kiss the water. The sizzles from that great ball of light accompanied the sloshing of the water as it hit the rocks. Deciding not to waste more time, he strategically laid down fish traps by mapping the best area where the current is strong enough to trap the catch inside. When everything was all set, the sun dimmed enough for the lantern to cast light onto the landscape. 

Its brightness reminded him of a child's grin. One who has been smiling through his weakened body; a brat who has captured him so. And then he remembered him pouting. Right. He promised the child to look for his bracelet. But where? His shoulders sank.

Xiumin spun around in a quick circle and concluded that the bracelet was lost forever. Interestingly, that was when his nose picked up on a smell putrid enough for him to pinch his nose in disgust. He was no stranger to the smell of rot, but if it was this strong, then he suspects one thing: a new predator.

"You better not be invasive," Xiumin grumbled as he followed the scent. He decided to do the investigation tonight, and if lucky, he could chance upon the culprit to deduce its threat immediately. Maybe then could he design an appropriate trap early.

The smell led him to the rocky area of the shore where sharp, inky boulders shot up from the land underneath. 

"They'll drown you to death." His father's voice echoed inside his head, warning. Because of its perilous environment coupled with a number of rumored accidents, the rocky landscape has been a breeding space for native lore. His father once told him of ugly sea monsters with elongated claws that would drag unsuspecting people by their feet and never to be found again. As a boy, he stayed away ever since. 

Now, after being coached by people who called themselves missionaries, he had understood how these tales were merely preventative measures to keep others from venturing near the area. However, the stories proliferated, and the specific part of the lake was never intentionally visited by the locals.

Until now, of course. Especially after Xiumin spotted the remains of a fish lying at the base of a near rock. 

Bingo.

And that was only the beginning. As he tramped over sheer rocks, there were dozens of carcasses in various states of decomposition and yellowed under the light of his lantern. Yet, this was nothing compared to the pile of dead fishes further down the shore. The bodies have occupied a large area, even serving as cushions in between the junctions of rocks. As soon as Xiumin felt his rattan shoes soak up the juices of the dead as he stepped over the remains, and the drool collecting in his mouth was the omen to an inevitable retching. He swallowed it still, bearing its bitterness, his feet moving closer hastily to inspect more of the scene.

The fishes atop the pile looked a day old and were more or less of the same variety. However, the bodies near the end of the pile were consumed more heartily as the ones on top only had a few chunks of flesh bitten out of them.

The hair on his arm and neck stood erect because he wanted to flee, but no, his ego told him to stay a bit more. So, he faced the other direction to find stale air and found a tail peeking out behind a boulder in front of him. But enormous. And he saw it twitch.

Xiumin tripped over the names of all the holy beings he knew as he prayed in his head. 

Was it a crocodile?But they did not have fins. A big fish? Maybe? He ached to flee, but he was, after all, a fisherman. And whatever fish it was would no doubt be a great catch.

Hence, he slowly peeked.

He saw a person...with a tail. 

Xiumin blanked out and gawked at the being. They lied. His heart thundered inside his chest as he called, "Magindara," They were real.

As if recognizing the deity's name, the mer opened its hollowed eyes. 

Xiumin felt cold prickling his skin as its eyes caught his. Immediately, it scorned at him and bared its teeth, letting out a series of loud hisses and grunts. 

Xiumin watched intimidated as what looked like gills on its neck flared. He expected to be lunged at, watching its fingers tense, claws glinting under the light of his lantern, and he gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, looking away.

He did not know when, or how, but he felt razor-sharp claws dig into his thigh only for the thin material to give away with ease. It was the gut-wrenching fright that he registered first, and the rush of adrenaline next. 

Throwing all of his self-preservation aside, emboldened after taking that much-anticipated strike, he launched himself to the being, tackling it to the ground. It thrashed in an attempt to throw him off to no avail, and Xiumin's hands trembled from his tight grip on both its wrists that remained crossed against its chest. 

Xiumin panted hard, but the being gasped for air even harder. He did not know if it was normal for these creatures to have such a pallid appearance, but judging from its ragged breaths and pinched expression, the one beneath him was growing tired fast. 

He could not help but worry as he felt its body almost deflate in surrender.

"Tssss…" It rasped, "hah--hah--urtsss…"

The hissing caught Xiumin by surprise. He did not expect the being to speak, but what it uttered--hissed out--sounded pretty cohesive. However, he was not in the right state of mind to do so. And before he was even able to utter a word, he felt a force that barrelled from his side, causing him to fall over and release his hold on the creature. The next thing he felt were a pair of dainty hands on his legs desperately trying to hike it up and over.

"NO! OFF, MR. THUMIN, OFF!" A little voice cried.

A child looked at him, eyes brimming with tears as he continued to push him away, "CHENNIE IS HURT!"

"Hunnie?"

"Chennie is my friend! Chennie is crying!" Hunnie pleaded once again, "Bad, Mr. Thumin! See? Chennie is crying!"

One look at 'Chennie' confirmed that he really was in deep pain. The sight of Chennie's blue-stained cheeks frightened Xiumin, and he was back on his feet in no time, arms steering the squirming child away from Chennie's direction.

"Go home, child!" 

"No! If I do, Chennie will be sad alone! Chennie!"

"It's dangerous!"

"No, no, no! Get off, Mr. Thumin, off!" Hunnie wailed.

"Sehun!" 

Hunnie stopped at the sound of his real name. He looked at Xiumin desperately, and the latter found it hard to not let the guilt show on his face. He had no choice but to hurt the child's feelings.

"Grandma said that Hunnie should be kind." The child whispered, "I give Chennie love everyday! Chennie doesn't hurt Hunnie, no! I will help Chennie. Why won't you, Mr. Thumin?" 

Xiumin's grip faltered at the child's words, and Hunnie immediately ran to his friend's side. He was left alone questioning his morals, but their lives were also at stake. Fortunately, Chennie's ghastly complexion foretold Xiumin of both his and Hunnie's increased chances of survival. Even so, he could not help but eye the creature with distrust, worsened by the reminder of the now pulsing cut in his thigh.

"Hi, Chennie!" He saw Hunnie child beam despite the tears and the snot running down his nose, "Do your owwies hurt again?"

Chennie blinked, calming down instantly. Xiumin knew then that Sehun was safe, for the time being.

"I will fix you up, Chennie!" Hunnie said and bent over the being's scaly lower half, head spending a moment on one part before moving to another. Chennie seemed calm but this puzzled Xiumin. Naturally, he hobbled closer to take a closer look at the pair to check on the child, first and foremost.

"Grandma does this to Hunnie when I get owwies too!" Xiumin heard Hunnie say as he softly blew air at what looked like patches of dried and crusted wounds on the expanse of its tail. They looked shallow but deep enough to cause substantial pain if it were on human skin. However, these injuries were not fatal as the wounds sat only on his tail. Hence, Xiumin wondered exactly why the being looked half-dead. And if it really was on the brink of death, how could it still have enough strength to injure him?

"How is he?" He asked.

"Looking good, Mr. Thumin!" Hunnie turned his head at his direction and smiled in a way that made Xiumin question how quickly the child's sadness ebbed. This convinced him that what Hunnie did was in fact, effective. 

The child nodded at him, head tilted back at an angle, and the corners of his mouth pinched up.

"See? It turned green! Like nature! Healing!" 

"But, the smell..." 

The child tsked, expression smug, "A side effect!" 

"Um, Hunnie…"

The next thing Xiumin knew, he was sitting on the ground with his legs outstretched. He held the small tube of Old Zhang's ointment between his teeth as he widened the rip in his pant leg to reveal two long gashes across his thigh. The creature's yip upon seeing it made him clench his jaw in offense, its languished body the only thing that kept him compassionate enough to stay. 

That, and little Hunnie who has been so proud of his work at healing his little 'friend' through unconventional and unsanitary means, thereby innocently causing infection to the wound. Not wanting to let the child accidentally kill his new friend, Xiumin decided to help.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you, Chen." Fortunately, Chen seemed to know that Xiumin referred to him, as he responded to the new name with a low hiss. Apparently, Hunnie was the only one to call Chennie, 'Chennie', so Xiumin had to deal with coming up with another name for him. Now, the challenge was to make Chen calm enough for him to apply the ointment on its tail. 

Xiumin dabbed a small amount of the ointment along his wound. He felt jittery under both Hunnie and Chen's watch, the child's gaze more intense than the actual patient itself.

"Um… Look, Chen. It doesn't hurt--" 

"You flinched, Mr. Thumin!"

"It doesn't hurt that much, just a little bit. Never said it didn't." 

Now with his wound treated, he heaved himself up on his feet to get a better look at Chen's injuries. But another hiss made Xiumin scramble away from its body. Truthfully, the increased space between him and the foreign creature pacified him. The initial fear in his system was just subdued by adrenaline, but it was still sending alarm signals in his body. Here was safe, he concluded. It was quite far from Chen, but near enough for him to scoop Hunnie up and run back if it ever endangered the child's life. 

"Here, do you want to put this on him instead, Hunnie? Clean your hands and put a small amount in his wounds. " 

Xiumin saw how delicately Hunnie treated his friend. The child proceeded with no mishaps and even puckered his lips one last time to send a kiss to the 'owwies'. Chen, on the other hand, slumbered under Hunnie's touch.

"Mr. Thumin," The child uttered softly as he returned the tube of ointment to him, "Grandmama is mad."

"I bet she is."

"No, she's really mad." Hunnie glanced at Chen briefly and frowned. 

"Chennie should rest." The child tugged on Xiumin's pants, "Home."

And as they walked back together, Xiumin could not help but find the child looking healthier, somehow.

* * *

The bright red tiles that covered the roof have darkened into a rich burgundy under the crescent moon. 

"Can Mr. Thumin do me a favor?"

Xiumin tsked, "Been doin' lots of favors for you, huh."

"Mr. Thumin, you and Chennie are friends now because you helped him earlier. But Chennie is afraid of people. He'll be alone, you know… Grandmama will watch me for one week."

"Hunnie can't see Chennie this long!" The child grumbled as he held up eight dirtied fingers, "Anyway, I knew you'd do it, Mr. Thumin, I knew it! You're a really good friend!"

Xiumin found his hands tied, once again. He gave a noncommittal grunt as he pointed to the house ahead, noticing a figure donning the stance of a mother waiting to catch her child dallying. "Go, the Doña is waiting."

"Oh no, no." The child said as he squinted, "It really is grandmama! I have to go now Mr. Thumin, bye! Oh, wait! Chennie dies when he's scared, but don't worry!"

Xiumin was only able to catch a few words from the child's ramblings, but he chuckled after seeing Hunnie approach the Doña like a puppy whose tail was tucked between its legs. The child's face soured even more as his grandmother started to lecture him. Her high-pitched voice made Xoumin want to empathize with Hunnie, because he was no stranger to being reprimanded by his own mother.

He walked home reminiscing about his childhood and of the days where stories of entities, benevolent and savage, that lived amongst them would gather looks of awe from children. He recalled the village storyteller and how his red bandana popped under the blazing sun as he gave them dimpled smiles to see their frustration after yet another cliff-hanger.

Everything was colorful then.

* * *

Xiumin stood under the pouring rain, gritting his teeth when the shivers crept up from his belly up to his neck. The dense foliage should have shielded Xiumin considerably, but the volume of water weighted down the leaves so quickly that it rain poured down on him in a shower anyway. 

Still, he took such an effort to steady his outstretched arms.

Xiumin lost his footing because of his injured leg a while ago, and Chen snarled at him. He also tried approaching the mer to inspect its wounds, but Chen tried to swipe at him with its claws. 

Apparently, the universal sign for 'I came in peace' did not apply underwater. Nevertheless, he decided to just hold his arms out and wait.

It had been about ten minutes and nothing, so Xiumin decided to plop down in a seat regardless of the warning hisses that Chen gave out. The rocks hurt his bottom, but feeling grounded to something made him less anxious. Besides, it made the small rocks easily accessible to him for self-defense just in case. 

He sat there until the light of his lantern enveloped more of their dimming environment. And after a few moments more, it was time for him to go. He still had to set up fish traps for tomorrow.

Xiumin stood and retrieved his lantern from the ground as he retreated back into the lush forest. Chen's deep breaths an unsettling reminder of his impending failure to fulfill a promise.

The least he could do, however, was to convince himself that he tried. 

It worked.

The day after that, Xiumin decided to return and try befriending Chen once more. He had already delivered the day's catch to the Doña early on in the day, and now had free time to waste.

However, he could not help but lag in his steps as he traversed the familiar path stopping at times to breathe deeply and enjoy the slow pace towards his predicament. He forced a wide smile on his face and walked with a bounce in his steps because there was no better way to confront a problem than believing that everything was going to be okay.

Xiumin thought that it started out great. He came to find Chen lying supine and asleep. Seeing this as an opportunity, he slowly approached the other and crouched an arm's length away from it. He held the lantern above Chen's tail littered with both deep and shallow wounds.

"The rocks skinned you, huh. That sucks...but that's what the water throws at you." Xiumin knew that the shore was littered with really sharp rocks that could easily cut through skin--and now scales. He pulled out the same ointment and applied it on a wound that looked puffy and a little bit irritated.

“Got ‘ya.” He said to himself, feeling haughty.

Soon he finished treating the wounds.

It did not rain that evening, nor did Chen rouse from his slumber. 

On the fourth day, Xiumin thought that giving up was his only hope. The third day was like the first one, and the current was their worst meeting so far. He sat cross-legged on the same spot that for the past few nights, but this time Chen was puffing small and rapid breaths of air, eyes crinkled, and mouth wide open. He would find the light thumping of Chen’s tail quite adorable, but Xiumin just stared at him with his fists clenched as he thought of how fitting the shadows cast by the lanterns on Chen's face dramatized his scenic expression of glee.

He calmed himself down by regulating his breaths, but the earlier events had him pressing his knuckles into the ground. 

Chen had first thrown a fish carcass at him. It was followed by another. And another.

It was not the fish that bothered him. It was the slimy substance and the dark stains that it left behind as it slid down his shirt that maddened him. And the smell, oh the smell! 

Without any thought, he flung his lantern into Chen's direction and it landed with a splash into the water.

Xiumin heard a shrill wail, but that did not stop him from grinning as he looked down on Chen. The same one who was now wide-eyed and trembling harshly.

"Monster."

* * *

"So, tell me, why're you hunched so much your chin's gonna be piercing a hole through your chest, kid? Ain't he a monster?" The old man chuckled, "Look me in the eyes, kid. Ain't he a monster?"

"He...is." Xiumin replied.

"A what?"

Xiumin frowned, annoyance tickling his chest. He remained mum.

The man snorted and slapped his frail knees, "Just 'cause he threw a dead fish at 'ya?" 

"It's rude. And messy!"

"But when was playtime not?" Xiumin stilled at this, his mind blanked out because it made sense. The knowing look in the older's eyes made him curl up into himself even more.

"D'ya understand now, boy? 'Ya can't only speak with fishes forever. Well, unless."

"Unless what?"

"Unless." And then there was that same dimpled smile on his face that Xiumin knew too well. He opted to ask another question.

"Where's the bandana, Sir?"

"Hn? Ah, right. I'm me today, my rest day."

"Oh."

Old Zhang lifted his hands up into the sky, "Tomorrow, it's me and them."

"I don't understand."

"'Ya don't have to." Old Zhang replied, "But Xiumin,, what 'ya need to know which lenses in you view your friend under... Or else 'ya run the risk of being 'd monster 'yaself." He said as he chewed on a betel nut.

"Hm. This's good! Try giving him food next time. Little Chën must be starving, the poor child."

This caught Xiumin off-guard, "Who?"

"My cat, kid."

"But you don't have a cat…do you?"

"Don't I? Then, I have a name but no cat." Old Zhang scratched his head.

"Betel nut?" He added, offering Xiumin some.

Xiumin declined and stood up, now even more shameful after their conversation, "I'll be going now, Sir."

Old Zhang just waved him off.

* * *

Xiumin grunted as he hauled a Tilapia from the water trying to fight it off as it wriggled in his grasp. He had forgotten to bring a pair of gloves but minor incisions from the fish's fins were something that he had seen coming. He swayed a bit on his feet but managed to balance himself as the fish struggled to break free. He quickly threw it on land and limped after it. The fish had already swept over half an inch of sand from where it was aggressively flailing its tail when he arrived. He briefly checked his wound that thankfully did not open during his little skirmish with the fish. At least it looked better than Chen's.

Speaking of Chen, would the other prefer a live fish? But serving it dead was just wrong! Old Zhang was right. It was easy for him to view Chen with suspicion just because he could not understand the fish-tailed man. His heart pricked as he remembered the tremors that passed Chen's rigid body after he threw the lantern at it--them?

"I'll just give him the fish then leave." If Chen's deteriorating health would not kill the creature, then starvation might. It was his fault anyway. He laughed at Chen when he saw him taking a bite out of the same rotting fish that ended up being thrown at him not long after. He would not mind if it was done by his friends, but Chen's strangeness unnerved him. And from all the feelings that he felt, it was anger that he responded to. 

"At least the fish's big."

He scooped up the fish and transferred it to a bucket filled halfway with water. It was not enough to cover the fish, but it was not like he wanted to keep it as a pet anyway. He needed it alive. And maybe Chen could spare his own when they meet again.

Chen followed his every move with a clawed hand in front of his chest. It was raining again, and Xiumin concentrated on maintaining his balance because of the added weight that he was carrying. Keeping the same distance, he placed the bucket in front of Chen whose slitted eyes flitted between him and the thing.

There was silence.

And then several hard thumps were made by the fish inside. Chen's ears twitched. He held his nose up to the air and sniffed.

Xiumin saw Chen shudder, eyes shifting from a dark brown to a pale blue. The latter had their mouth open vertically and a light whistling note blared out of it. Xiumin swore he saw pure white for a second there. 

Chen crawled haphazardly to the bucket but before he could reach inside, the creature spared him a look.

"Ffffff….fffoooodddhhh." They managed to smile. They retrieved the dead tilapia whose size extended further than the length of their hands and claws combined. Chen took a big and messy bite. The sharp crunch of bones breaking, the squelch of teeth meeting sinew, the crackling of scales rubbing against each other, and hearing Chen's slurps of blood made Xiumin retch inside.

This time, he focused on Chen. Just Chen. And he surprised himself at what he saw.

Chen smiled in every bite. He continuously let out clicking sounds, cheeks puffed out and tail thumping on the ground rhythmically. It was all new for Xiumin, but this time he kept his bewilderment to himself. Chen was beyond a project now.

"Can you understand me?" Chen paused in the middle of licking his talons clean. They tilted its head a little which exacerbated its gaunt profile.

"Sspeak hooomaahn." Chen said.

Chen's speech reminded Xiumin of Hunnie's lisp and he relaxed a little. But what he saw Chen do next confused him.

"Wait, stop! You're bleeding!" Xiumin's heart pumped so hard he could feel its thumping up until his fingertips. Chen began to dig his claws underneath his scales, and it was evidently hurting Chen. Still, Chen only stopped after a while, a dirtied palm outstretched, offering him something equally bloodied in the middle. Xiumin only stared at it.

"More?" Chen moved his other hand over the same section of its tail, a talon poised at an angle, ready to impale once more.

"NO! NO, STOP!" But they did not even spare him a glance, "Chen!"

Chen finally looked at him.

"No more!" He pleaded.

"Ffforr ffffoooddh." Chen held his arm out again, but Xiumin shook his head.

"Food is free. Food," Xiumin pointed at the empty bucket and sighed, "Xiumin sorry. Xiumin friend."

"Fwrendh?"

"Yes! Yes, like Hunnie. Friend."

Chen squealed at the mention of the child's name, "Hunnie fwrendh!"

"Yes, me too. Xiumin is a friend now too." He said to which Chen nodded slowly.

"All frwendhs? Some not frwendhs. You frwendh?" Chen's eyes lingered on Xiumin's hand, "You too have sssssun. Thosssse who have ssssun...dangeeeer for mer."

"Sun?" Xiumin looked at his hand, rather, the lantern that he held.

"This?" Xiumin questioned and shook it in front of him. It was a careless move because Chen had hissed angrily once again, back now hunched and ready to strike. Xiumin immediately put the lantern down, and Chen pounced on it, picking it up from the ground and throwing it on a nearby boulder.

When Xiumin realized what had happened, he bit back a strong profanity. _Gago._ That was the second one destroyed in the span of a few days.

Chen just looked at him blankly, "Not frwiendsss with Sssssuumin."

And lightning splintered across the sky. 

Xiumin looked up, and he saw how bright the stars were. He smiled, the stars were never overwhelming, they shone but did not intimidate. Under the drizzle of rain, Xiumin walked the same path home, his heart thrummed with determination to try once more.

And try he did the very next night he visited Chen. This time though, he made quick work of his chores to make more time for Chen. He brought with him two chunky Lapu-Lapu fishes the length of his arm. Both were moist with red gills competing with the scarlet sheen of their scales. 

This little feast should have easily attracted Chen, but Xiumin saw how Chen's gaze followed the modest star-shaped Christmas lantern dangling from his hand. They called it a Parol. 

He wanted to hide the thing behind a boulder or toss it somewhere and pretend to never have carried an untimely ornament and use it as his lantern, instead. It was not technically only for him, though. He figured that the star would be more Chen-friendly and would hopefully not befall the same rough treatment from the creature. Still, presenting the bedazzled thing before Chen was embarrassing. Xiumin felt like an overgrown child whose excitement for Christmas bordered shamefully.

Still, it was Chen-friendly. And Chen's scrunched up as his smile almost reached his ears, sharp teeth all on display. Chen eyed the lantern with big eyes, grabby hands shaking, and its tail even swished from side to side. Xiumin released a breath, carefully handing over the lantern to Chen. He heard Chen trill excitedly as they placed a hand upon the star's surface, removed it briefly to look at their palm, and returned their brushing their fingers over the lantern again.

Xiumin got weirded out by Chen's antics. It was not as if the lantern could hurt Chen.

Oh. 

Chen was indeed checking for injuries and found none. Maybe that was why he hated normal lanterns too.

And he had tried to aim one at Chen's face. Now he felt twice as guilty as he did when he talked with Old Zhang.

Xiumin was looking at Chen when the latter flashed Xiumin a toothy smile.

"Maybe you are fwriendh," Chen said, "Ssssh...shyuuuu...Xiuminnie."

Xiumin coughed a little after hearing the nickname. It was only in his early childhood that he received such a normal nickname. These days, people just called him names like "Ming-ming", "Shomin", "Min", or just simply, "Utoy". 

He did not expect how endearing it would be to hear Chen call him Xiuminnie.

"Food!" He heard Chen exclaim. Oh, Chen finally saw his food.

"Yes. Here." Xiumin absentmindedly handed the fish to Chen but flinched when his hands were enveloped by something cold, "Wha--"

Chen was holding his hands.

"Chen touch." Xiumin felt his skin prickle under Chen's touch. He did not move, but Chen did not seem to need his permission to proceed. Their palms traveled Xiumin's arms, touching, squeezing, and sometimes running over his arms lightly. He grimaced. Chen's hands were cold as the water before dawn, except with nails like spiders climbing up his arm.

"Sssoft." Chen continued tracing patterns on Xiumin's skin. 

"Fuh...friend."

"Yes. Good job. Friend." Xiumin enunciated. Chen's speech was worse than Sehun's, but it was coherent enough that he was able to piece the sounds together. He knew Chen was trying, though, but what if…

Xiumin cleared his throat, "bleurgh, beugh bleh blugh blugh eugggk…?"

When all he got was a frown in return, he confirmed that Chen's species did not, for a fact, sound like drowning people underwater.

"Uh...nevermind. I just thought um...yeah, okay...well, maybe not?"

"Fwendh. You."

"Yes, frrrriend. Friend."

"Friend?"

"Yes, Chen! Friend!" Chen beamed at that, and their hands roamed up Xiumin's thigh. He froze despite feeling hot in his face, especially towards the tips of his ears. Xiumin felt Chen's fingertips stop as soon as it grazed his wound. Chen looked at him knowingly, aware that the injury was its fault. Xiumin was just about to tell Chen that everything was fine, but he saw Chen's eyes radiate like a ball of white light. Xiumin felt warm waves of tingles spread outwards from his lower half to the very crown of his head. The sensation lasted even as Chen's eyes dimmed. Xiumin felt woozy and in a state of a pliable comfort, but he clearly remembered how the grin plastered on Chen's face was proud and joyful.

"Friends!" Chen chirped, releasing a few high-pitched yips and squeaks. 

Xiumin acknowledges his joy during his moments with Chen, and he somehow could not erase Chen's smile from his mind as his feet led him back home. 

It was when his pants smoothly slid halfway down his legs that he saw that both his thighs were unblemished.

* * *

It has been three days since the last time Chen initiated touch, and Xiumin genuinely saw Chen in a new light. Chen was not the "other" anymore. Chen was simply Chen--with a tail. Xiumin witnessed how green hues slowly tinged Chen's once ashen skin. Chen's tail has also darkened into a lustrous kale green, and the wounds on were reduced to long and silvery bumps along its tail. There were multiple times that Chen caught Xiumin staring at his tail, and Chen would just casually stick a clawed nail under one glittering scale, dig it out, and hand him a piece of bloodied scale. 

Xiumin did not know how to react. He was mortified. He tried refusing the scales at first, but Chen would only hiss and glare at him until he did. Xiumin resorted to pocketing the scales when they were offered and forgot about it. It was only the day before that he finally saw the scales up close.

Xiumin had been rushing to the Commissioner's house to deliver his daily catch. He panted as he finally caught up with the line.

"Early again, Utoy?" The Doña asked, "You have been lucky with your catch these days."

It was true. Although the number of fish that Xiumin has to bring has doubled, he has been really lucky with fishing for the last few days. His catch was aplenty, and it seemed like fishes swarmed whatever area Xiumin chose to fish in. It was weird, especially since many fishermen eyed his basketfuls of fish when their own catch had only managed to cover the bottom of their trays. It was not only them, but those who worked with the soil had also been having a harder time in filling up their sacks with crops. The increase in the number of tributes took a toll on everyone. On the other hand, fishes swam in schools near the shore, and Xiumin only had to scoop them up with his net. He was thankful, though, because he had more time to spend with Chen.

"It must've been the weather."

The Doña gave him a nod in return, "The skies have cleared."

"Yes."

"Hunnie has been looking for you." She threw him a brief look as she continued to write down something in a notebook.

"Oh," Xiumin remembered the shells weighing down on his pocket. He scooped the mollusks out into his hand to put them out on the table.

"Here. For the child."

"You're a child yourself." She teased and glanced down at the shells.

"I'll be going then--"

"Xiumin." The Doña's voice cut him off. The feeling it gave him was somehow colder than the feeling of Chen's icy hands on his skin.

"What's this?" Pinched between her fingers was a glimmering piece of plastic, but he did not know where that came from. Surely, the Doña would not think ill of his motives in giving Sehun little presents, right? But that piece of plastic was really familiar.

He stiffened when he realized that he did know where it came from. The Doña was holding a piece of Chen's scale.

"I…well--I--"

"Where did you get this?" She pushed.

Xiumin did not know what to do. He kept blinking as he tried to find an excuse. He was not a bad liar, but he was not able to condition himself enough to pull off a lie that day. The thoughts swimming inside his head started to send his mind into overdrive. Should he lie? Tell the truth? He should protect Chen, because that is what friends would do, right? 

"I…" But the woman before him was like a parent. She was their leader and their home. The thought of deceiving her made his guilt flare. He could not do it. He felt tears prick at his eyes.

"Its from--"

"Xiumin, boy, why'd 'ya give away someth'n I gave 'ya?" Someone said behind him. 

Xiumin turned to the direction of the voice, and he was greeted with a dimpled smile. He could not process who it was. His panicked thoughts scampered into the front row of his mind. They took too much space that his chest felt constricted. He heard voices, one soft, almost teasingly playful, and the other hard, but he could not properly concentrate on them. 

A hand made its way on his shoulder. It was warm enough to entice the cold jitters away from his system. Soon enough, he felt light-headed as panic crept away from his nerves.

"I gave 'ya this scale, right, boy?" Old Zhang asked him.

Wait, Mr. Zhang?

"Mr. Zhang?"

"Why'd 'ya give it away? Ain't it working? I'll have you know that my goods are top-tier!"

"I--Sehun. It's for the child."

Old Zhang looked like he still wanted to say something but shrugged it off, instead.

"Fine. Kids these days don't know how to appreciate simple things. Hey, Okh, is the boy done yet?"

The Dòña nodded slowly, eyes never straying from Xiumin's even if the despicable old man called her informally by her real name.

"Maybe it wasn't just the weather." She looked at Xiumin sharply.

"Eh? But, great! I'd have him whisked away, then. Bye!" Old Zhang pulled him away by his ear, and the sudden pain cleared the fog in his mind. They covered a couple of feet before Xiumin burst out in distress.

"Ouch, Mr. Zhang! Hurts! Really--ow!"

Mr. Zhang was quiet, but at least he released his hold on Xiumin's ear. 

"You're scared, eh?"

"I've never seen her like that."

"She has her reasons, and so did 'ya. 'Ya know, betrayal hurts the person committing it, too." Xiumin's heart stopped.

"Maybe even worse than the victim themselves. It nibbles at 'ya 'til 'ya trust 'yaself no more. In the end, 'ya pick who suffers less." The old man walked past him, his presence as light as a gentle breeze.

From a distance, he took one final look at the Doña who was talking to a farmer with a sack of crops over his shoulder. The Doña was smiling politely, but her hands were clenched so tight that the stick of charcoal in her right hand snapped in half.

* * *

“Xiuminnie!” Xiumin heard Chen cheer as he emerged from the forest. He did not know how, but he suspected that Chen’s sense of hearing was really strong, especially since there was little light to reveal his identity to the latter. Maybe the glow from the small star-shaped lantern was already a giveaway.

Xiumin came up to Chen who sat with his tail folded underneath him and a familiar smile curled the edges of its thin lips. 

“Hi.”

“I bring food!” Chen exclaimed and pointed towards a small arrangement of rocks a few inches away from its tail, “Look!”

Chen had laid out a few flat rocks in a circle. On top of each were small portions of various kinds of seafood. There were a couple of small fishes and one medium-sized tilapia, but he would not dare eat raw meat.

“Fish for me. Eat the plants.” Chen said.

Xiumin immediately felt bad because the distaste must have been apparent on his face, but with Chen's little encouraging nods, Xiumin took a few strands of round sea grapes and put it in his mouth.

"Yum?" Chen asked.

"Hm, yum." Xiumin grinned, but his smile died as he chewed on a mouthful of algae. Chen's little hums of approval as it gobbled up the fish made Xiumin pause.

"Xiumin. Friend. Eat many."

Chen's eyes were sincere, and Xiumin had to swallow to ease his tightening throat. His chest burned at the bitterness of guilt.

* * *

On the 9th day, Chen already seemed to be healthy enough. It was not that Xiumin knew what a healthy Chen would look like, but he was a fisherman, and he knew what a healthy fish would look like. Chen's lower half was magnificent and gone were the wounds that littered it. Chen's body felt healthy enough that it has produced ample oil to moisturize its body. Chen's tail looked stronger, and its scales had been reflecting so much under the soft glow of the lantern. The scales along the expanse of Chen's tail glimmered like stars before tapering off into skin towards his navel where a belly button on a human would be. 

Chen's torso was firm. His body lines were sleek, and the resulting muscles from proper nourishment have accentuated Chen's lithe body. What Xiumin liked the most, though, was Chen's skin. It was rubbery but thin enough that wave-like patterns undulated under Chen's skin. Chen looked like the water, personified. To Xiumin, Chen was strangely beautiful and wrongfully enchanting.

That same day, Chen asked for Hunnie. Xiumin tried to explain that the child was berated by his grandmother because of sneaking out at night, but Chen might not understand why.

"Uh, Hunnie is in their house, Chen." 

"A house? Did I scare Hunnie?" 

Xiumin described what a house looked like to the best of his abilities, but Chen looked lost. Seeing this, Xiumin collected a few stones from the ground to create a simple icon of a house. He nodded at his work, deeming it good enough to get the idea across. It did, but Chen's radiant smile of understanding rapidly withered. Chen hissed, apprehension visible in its tensed shoulders. Looking at Chen made Xiumin feel cold.

"Cage, cage…" Chen whispered softly, but their eyes were shaking. Xiumin held a hand out, but Chen flinched, breathing heavily. 

Xiumin's outstretched hand caught a few raindrops before he slowly enveloped himself with it. It was drizzling, but Xiumin was frozen not because of the chilly air, but because he did not know what to do. He felt confronted with a feeling that drowned him into inaction. Xiumin knew he had to, wanted to help, but his body twitched but remained stagnant. He watched as Chen crumpled into the ground like a dry leaf under the weight of one's feet. Chen heaved for air, eyes wild and gaze unsteady. Xiumin stood petrified.

"I was--was in cage! Hurt in cage--black hands! If Hunnie--in c-cage, Hunnie hurt, too!"

Xiumin stared at Chen's bulging eyes and trembling lips. 

"They want scales." Chen gasped.

In the blink of an eye, Chen haphazardly picked at its tail and started to tear its scales off until a foreign substance trickled down its tail.

Xiumin followed its path down, astonished at the sheer magnificence of the liquid. It was glowing an electric blue radiant enough to cast light on Chen's tail. He watched as it traveled down the ground and consumed pebbles like lava. Its wave-like patterns faded slowly the further it traveled from its source: Chen. 

No. It was Chen's blood.

The realization made Xiumin sick, but he was too preoccupied to even utter a word.

Still, he watched as Chen suddenly collapsed. Its sharp cries were silenced with a hack. Xiumin did not know when it started, but Chen's body was pallid as soon as its body made contact with the ground. Chen weakly fought for air, and Xiumin stopped breathing in hopes that his deficiency would somehow provide Chen with more air to breathe. It was for naught, as Chen's chest stilled with one last exhale. That last breath extinguished all signs of life in Chen's body. Xiumin was numb by this time, but he felt a tear escape his eye as soon as the color drained out of Chen's eyes. After that, Chen was no more than an empty vessel.

Xiumin walked away as the skies wept and screeched as blades of rain pricked the ground. The cold sensation of wet clothes wrapping around his skin brought comfort to his numbing mind which sought for one thing: Sehun.

* * *

Was Chen dead?

Xiumin's steps faltered as he saw the peak of the only red-tiled roof in the province. Tonight, the color red felt like a warning. Xiumin chose to remain unperturbed as he rolled his shoulders to shake off the unpleasant feelings that had built up.

He walked towards the Doña's lawn with steady steps determined to get to the front door. But what would he say to the Doña? To Sehun? One look at the Doña and he would be spilling everything he knew about Chen, but the Doña was righteous. Moreover, she was their leader. On the other hand, Sehun was a mere child, but he was someone dear to Xiumin. The boy was a zealous child always in pursuit of something that had caught his interest. Sehun was inquisitive as much as he was a chatterbox. Xiumin crumbled under the guilt. How was he to choose? He was so deep in thoughts that he failed to realize that he had already been standing in front of the house's front door. It was held wide open by no other than little Sehun whose pointer finger was held before his lips.

"Shhh! But hi, Mr. Thuminnie! Don't be loud, Grandmama doesn't know I'm out of bed." The child giggled, and Xiumin could trace Sehun's grin under the scanty lighting of a meager oil lamp that struggled to remain alight amidst the rain.

"How's Chennie?"

Xiumin kept mum. 

"Well, you'll have to take care of Chennie! Grandmama told me I'll get my wingth--um, wingsss! And soon! Like a month thoon!"

Xiumin's heart wrenched at the happy expression on the child's face. Sehun was trying to contain his excitement, but he was so joyful that his lisp had returned.

Sehun pouted, "...but she said I can't take you with me because--"

A series of violent dry coughs jarred the child's lanky frame. Xiumin immediately reached for Sehun's hand, and the child's grip was as strong as how tightly his face was scrunched into a grimace. After the fit, Xiumin saw how weary the boy's eyes were. The remaining wrinkles on Sehun's face were more than a harsh contrast to his once youthful appearance. They were also proof of how recurring these coughs were that these lines have been embedded in the child's skin.

Sehun's eyes looked like they were bulging out by how gaunt his face had gotten. His head looked too big for his body. The child was skinny and sickly before, but it was the first time that Xiumin saw how sick Sehun really was. The sickness had eradicated much of the boy's weight, and his bones stuck out of his skin in a way that made him look brittle. Xiumin pitied Sehun even more because of the smile on the child's face. The circumstance was truly unfair, but maybe a pair of wings would serve Sehun best. 

Xiumin wanted to pinch himself for thinking that way. He turned to focus on the babbling child that was inching his bare feet slowly to meet the ground. Sehun paused for a sigh before plopping down to sit cross-legged on the ground. He only continued his rambles after his hands were interlaced with the nearest blades of grass he could reach. This was an opportunity for Xiumin to tell Sehun about what happened to Chen, but he heard faint echoes of what seemed to be like an argument as Sehun had mindlessly left the door wide open. 

He looked at Sehun's dire appearance and then thought of what happened to Chen.

Xiumin then sat by the door and tried his best to crane his head back to make sense of what he heard while nodding a few times when Sehun sought for a response. He did not really care about what he would hear during the conversation, but he appreciated the distraction while it lasted.

His peace broke when he heard Old Zhang's voice instead.

"...not selling anymore…'ya asked of me--no. 'Ya wounded the sea-child, that's why it won't work! Last resort… might be…was wrong! It's harmed! And the governor…" Old Zhang's voice raged, and his pitch was tight and strained.

A sea child? 

Xiumin checked if Sehun had noticed. The child did not. 

"...too late to...didn't work…heal, anyway!"

The voices started to get stronger, and the wooden floor creaked under the heavy footsteps above him. Xiumin guessed that the Doña and Old Zhang had made their way towards the staircase and would soon be going down the stairs. They would find him immediately, but they stalled just before they reached the stairs, and Xiumin took the opportunity to listen in longer.

"It's not the right way." The old man's voice was deep.

"I don't care about what's right anymore. I did everything." She croaked, "Everything! I prayed and reconciled with our old ways! I believed you, and like them, you failed me, still. I've no family but that child. You had my hope, Zhang, but I see him waste away bit by bit, day after day. I'm just scared of losing everything."

Xiumin heard her sniffle, but it was silent after that. He really could not even begin to process anything because so much happened in such a short amount of time. What happened?

He was thinking about how comforting it would be to see Chen's smile one more time when he felt a weak tug on his pants.

"You know, Mr. Thuminnie, Grandmama loves me so much." The child took off a necklace that was under his shirt. 

"She told me it'll heal this sickness, but it's not from Chennie's love. I know it's his, I saw Grandmama take it from him." Xiumin accepted the necklace handed to him, and one look at it confirmed that actual scales were punctured and sewn together which acted as a pendant. However, these scales looked too pasty and brittle to be Chen's. It looked like plastic, especially those that Old Zhang sold weeks before that he claimed were amulets.

"Lolo Zhang gave me one, too. The bracelet that I lost? But that one was in a different color and they glowed, but just a little. I understand why now because Grandmama was mean when she got Chennie's scales.”

“Your Grandmother... knows about Chen?” Sehunnie managed a weak nod.

Xiumin initially felt relieved knowing that the burden of having to tell the older woman was no longer his. On the other hand, he knew that Sehun loved the Doña dearly, so what did she do to merit such accusations from the child? How was she mean to Chen?

“Is Chen in danger?” Xiumin was aware of the weight of his question. He saw Sehun wet his lips a couple of times as his little hands picked at the grass.

“I’ll tell you. I saw Grandma that night. She was with two other men.” Sehun looked like he struggled to find the words to say. He looked scared and at some point hesitant to even start. Despite Xiumin’s sympathy, he could still not shrug off the impatience that he felt. He wanted to know everything.

“I followed them because I didn’t want to be alone. I hid behind a boulder so I could surprise everyone, but there was a loud scream. I peeked, and I saw them lift Chen off the boat.”

The child saw his Grandmother cause pain to another, and that must have cracked something in Sehun. Xiumin hoped that the child sustained no trauma from the incident that would haunt Sehun's relationship with his grandma in the future.

Xiumin saw how Sehun's eyes glazed with tears as he recalled how terrified Chen looked. The child told him how the two men had Chen trapped inside a fishing net, and how they had to use force to restrain the mermaid. 

A mermaid. Chen was really a mermaid.

Sehun also narrated how the men had really sharp blades that dug easily into Chen's tail. The wounds it left were shallow, but the tools were intended to slice off a wide area of skin in a short amount of time. That was why Chen had been littered by patches of wounds along their tail.

The Doña almost saw him, Sehun said. He stepped on a branch and had almost toppled over from losing his balance, but a hand grabbed his shoulders to stable him. He looked back and saw Old Zhang with a finger to his lips shaking his head. This had Xiumin doubt the old man's intentions. Was it just a coincidence that he appeared everywhere? He saved Sehun just as he prevented Xiumin from answering the Doña's probing questions on that specific day. He always knew what to say, especially when the old man sat him down for a talk. Then, there was also the cat's name! Xiumin recalled how the old man said that "Chen" was his cat, but he did not have a cat. Xiumin was so confused. Why would Old Zhang be speaking with the Doña this late? The old man had always been a mysterious person, but how much does he really know? 

Xiumin was taken away from his thoughts with a light tug. Sehun pulled him inside the house into the space behind the stairs after closing the door carefully behind them. The door stayed silent until it was fully shut, and this was a skill that no beginner could pull off easily. 

"Shh." Sehun said. A few moments later, the Doña and Old Zhang descended the stairs.

"You're right, Zhang. I just need to do one thing to end this." 

End what? Xiumin thought. 

It sounded like the old man paused in his steps as the Doña's lighter feet continued their descent.

"What?" She asked.

"Hm. Nothing. The mer's still there. In the rocks." Old Zhang chuckled, "Let me help you end this tonight.” 

And the door opened and shut.

Xiumin looked at the necklace in his hands once more. His hand tightened around the pendant. It was an amulet. He was so sure that it was because Old Zhang told him so, and it was the exact amulet that he had been selling weeks prior.

They were betrayed.

"Let's go." Sehun proclaimed, and Xiumin had not seen bravery so distinct until now. He had a friend, and he felt courageous.

* * *

Xiumin bravely trekked through the forest and into the rocky terrain. He did not know whose grip was stronger between Sehun and himself, but he held the child's small hand. He saw the silhouette of the Doña and Old Zhang, but there was another figure swimming quickly in the water. Hope crept in his chest as he dragged Sehun near the two people. Chen was alive and escaping! 

However, Chen slowed down and faced them. Chen did not see them. Xiumin worried that Chen might be too scared. He was ready to yell for Chen to swim away when he heard a low hum. Chen's gaze on the Doña was unmoving. 

Xiumin feared for her, but he forgot about one thing: the Siren Song. Nothing would ever prepare him for that.

Xiumin's body shrunk. It twisted and contorted until he was but a mere flake riding the wind. He felt light. Everything was enveloped in hues of blues, grays, and white. He had never seen such scenery before. The trees were bald, and their spindly branches reached up towards the colorful sky. 

The land was a desert of white fluff that looked so soft. The wind blew again, and Xiumin giggled as he was haphazardly thrown in the air. He spun and spun as he settled on the blanket of white. He stared at the sunset until dark clouds frayed its lovely borders. Heavy clouds soon descended upon him and the cacophony of thunder sent vibrations that thrummed in and out his body. And the lightning, oh, how he yearned for it.

He wanted to reach for it, but was a mere speckle unable to lift himself. Then, as if the lightning had found its way into his core, he felt himself float. He rose with each strong tug of the chord in his chest.

Xiumin was cold, but the cold welcomed him fully. It enveloped him, and he felt its resistance making it hard for him to touch the sparks of light. Still, the pull did not break, and he rose, but he felt heavier the closer he got. And heavier. And heavier. It was not until the cold had started to feel warm that what felt like his chest constricted. Appendages that were not present before started prickling, and he felt like everything was on fire. Still, he wanted to reach the sky, and he was so close.

Then, lightning flashed once again, and just like that, the spell broke. 

He was a mere flake in the air, but it seemed like he weighed tons as he spiraled down into the ground which swallowed him upon impact.

There was a muted silence.

Xiumin opened his eyes and saw darkness. The next thing that he registered was that he was not breathing and that he was underwater.

He was drowning.

With the last of his air, Xiumin pushed himself up until he broke into the surface gasping for air. His limbs flailed, but it quickly registered in his mind that he had to calm down and focus on swimming, instead. He forcefully calmed his breathing, and his body loosened enough that he felt light in the water. He swam until his foot nudged the surface beneath. He did not stop until he reached the shore, and someone reeled him away from the water.

"Mr. Zhang?" 

"It's okay. Everything's gonna be fine." 

Xiumin continued to cough out water, and the old man's firm grip on his arm distracted him from the burning sensation up his nose and chest. 

That grip also anchored him in place when he heard a broken cry of Sehun's name. He followed its direction and saw the Doña weaving through waist-deep water. She was equally as soaked as Xiumin was, but her back was straight and she held her head high. Her shoulders shook, but no other sound came after. He only saw her white skirt trail after her in the water, and her puffy sleeves were drenched and gathered into thin folds around her arms. She was reaching out. 

A few feet before her was Chen, and in the mer's arms was Sehun. The child was limp and heavy in Chen's hold. 

Xiumin looked at Chen, and the mer's expression shouted shock and despair. Chen was still unhealthily pale, but it did not change the fact that the child that was resting in the mer's arms was as white as a Sampaguita flower.

Xiumin saw Chen slowly push the child's body through the water and to the Doña's waiting embrace.

"My little warrior, you've grown your wings too soon." She sobbed as she kissed Sehun's little face.

The sight was heartbreaking, but it became catastrophic when Chen's grief-stricken gaze caught his. 

"Chen really… a monster." 

It was from a distance, but Xiumin clearly understood what Chen said. His heart weighed heavy in his chest as he cried. Chen was not a monster. Chen was his friend.

"Go, now." Old Zhang nudged his arm, his sleeves dripping with water. Xiumin waded through the water until he reached the child. 

"I came here to apologize. I'm sorry. I did it all for him. I'm so sorry." The Doña said as she tucked Sehun's head into her shoulder.

Xiumin looked at Sehun's peaceful face and took the child's fingers in his.

"Sehun saved me," Chen said. 

"Because I acted so selfishly. I hurt you."

"I hurt Sehun."

"He went peacefully. He's terribly ill, but your song lulled him to sleep." 

So, they all drowned?

"I know you stopped singing the moment you realized he was drowning. I saw you swim for him. Thank you." The Doña wept.

Xiumin felt their sadness, but something told him that the little beam of light could not be taken out that fast. He gripped Sehun's cold fingers tighter, and somehow, he felt the faintest twitch on his palm. He stiffened with anticipation as he looked around trying to justify if what he felt was true. The look on both the Doña and Chen's face said otherwise. 

Then, he saw Old Zhang with a gentle smile on his face. Xiumin bit his lips as he waited for a confirmation.

The old man nodded back.

"His fingers twitched." 

"Xiumin--" The Doña's face looked crestfallen.

"Please. Please trust me on this, please!" He gently pried Sehun away from her arms and transferred him into Chen's.

"Please. You healed my wound. Help him, Chen, please." 

Chen looked skeptical, but he placed one of his hands right on Sehun's chest. It was as life had been restored in Chen's face as he beamed. In effect, the waves underneath his skin pulsed and thrummed stronger and stronger until the water around them quivered and shuddered. 

Chen's eyes turned white, and there was a halo of light under Chen's palm. Slowly, the water's thrum calmed, and the small waves that lapped at their waists turned into tides that reached their shoulders. It was not until the white glow had ensnared Chen's pupils that an enormous wave crashed into them. All Xiumin saw was a bright ball of light glowing under the wall of water. He expected to be carried away back into the shore, so he held the Doña's shoulders in preparation for the gush of water. However, it split and rushed beside them both, instead.

Xiumin was in awe, but his eyes could only take in so much brightness before he shifted his gaze away from the ball of light. Xiumin shut his eyes until his heartbeat drowned out the sound of water. 

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His heart thunderously thumped three times, before a tinkling laugh welcomed the sunrise.

"Chennie!" It was Sehun's voice. He was alive! Xiumin looked at him, and the child looked like he was breathing the very essence of nature. His skin looked soft, his eyes were bright, and his cheeks were of a dusty pink.

"Grandmama!" The child cheered and clumsily swam towards the Doña. The child immediately entangled his limbs in her body, and the Doña's smile was so happy that it almost rivaled the sun.

"I went up, Grandmama, but you told me I'd have little wings, but I didn't! Also, there was this gate, and this man wouldn't let me in! He had a chicken, though, and he let me play with it for a while!" 

Xiumin looked at Chen, and as he stared into those eyes that day, he felt free.

"Chen," he called, "Chen is good."

* * *

"Then, the water gifted the boy with life, and as the sun rose, the child opened its eyes. Children, there is no correct way to live 'ya lives. The 'un-good' is defined by what is good, and both cannot exist without the other. However, 'ya get to define what the good and he un-good things in 'ya life are. Life, after all, is transformative, and it is 'ya mission to seek what goodness really is." Old Zhang preached to the wide-eyed kids that looked so engrossed in his story.

"Remember the 'parol' that Juan used to befriend Jose? Yes? Well, hope is everywhere, and sometimes it's weird, but it'll get 'ya bumbling brats through the night." Well, a handful listened, while some were already in their own little world. Xiumin even caught a child doze off while another chewed on a stick.

He cleared his throat, and the old man waved at him.

"Ah, Xiumin, boy! 'Ya out for Chen?"

"Yes, Mr. Zhang. I just met with the Doña. She said Sehun's doing really well."

Old Zhang laughed, "This old man knows many things."

"I'll be going then, Mr. Zhang."

"Wait--" A little girl stopped him. She gawked at him as she pointed at something on his back.

"You have the Parol! Look, he has the Parol! Like Juan!"

"Oh, he does! Ah, well, Mr. Xiumin here must've been busy setting up for Christmas." A wink was thrown his way, and Xiumin wanted to flee because of embarrassment.

"Now, how about another story, eh?" 

Xiumin thanked the old man for giving him an excuse to leave. He immediately rushed into the forest and made his way towards where he first met the mer.

Xiumin saw Chen there, swimming in circles near the shore.

"Xiuminnie!" Chen clamored, and Xiumin was met with the most heartwarming smile that he had ever seen.

Xiumin took the same star-shaped lantern off his back, and he saw the amusement dancing in Chen's bright orbs.

"Now don't you dare 'die' on me. I'm already traumatized." 

"Stop, I only do it when I'm scared..." Chen smirked, "to death."

Maybe Mr. Zhang was right: hope did get them through the night.

END

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I have given you a brief glimpse into the rich culture of the Philippines! I would like to give my gratitude to the Mods for being such kind and patient souls <3 Stay safe, everyone, and see you soon!


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